Caravans, Campers & Trailers
Caravan, Camper & Trailer Electrical Work
Caravan battery, solar and inverter upgrades, electric brakes and breakaway systems, trailer plug wiring and 12V touring fault finding, installed to AS/NZS 3001.2.
The numbers
- AS/NZS 3001.2:2022 enforceable from
- 18 November 2023
- Applies to
- New installs and alterations, including battery swaps
- Lithium battery location
- Outside habitable area or sealed, externally vented
- Inverter requirement
- Separate labelled RCD, visible status
- Lithium cell compliance standard
- AS IEC 62619
Quick answer
What does AS/NZS 3001.2 mean for a caravan battery upgrade?
AS/NZS 3001.2:2022 has been enforceable since 18 November 2023 and applies to alterations as well as new installs, so swapping a caravan battery to lithium brings that system under the standard. It requires lithium batteries to sit outside the habitable area or in a sealed externally vented enclosure, fusing on the positive as close as practicable to the battery, and a separate labelled RCD for any inverter.
Kiama, Shellharbour and the whole South Coast run on caravans and camper trailers, and the 12 volt systems inside them are where the standard has moved fastest. AS/NZS 3001.2:2022 became enforceable on 18 November 2023 and, importantly, it applies to alterations, not just to new vans. A lithium battery swap is an alteration.
That is not a reason to avoid upgrading. It is a reason to have it done by someone who knows where the battery is allowed to live, how the inverter has to be protected and why the fuse goes within a few hundred millimetres of the positive terminal.
We also do the unglamorous half of caravan work: the drawbar earth that has corroded, the brake controller that has never been calibrated, the breakaway battery that has been flat since 2019, and the 12-pin plug that only works if you hold it at an angle.
What this covers
Caravan battery & power system upgrades
AGM to lithium conversions with the charging profile, battery location and protection brought up to AS/NZS 3001.2.
Solar, DC-DC & inverter installations
MPPT regulation, DC-DC charging from the tow vehicle, and inverters protected by a separate labelled RCD with visible status.
Canopy and camper trailer fitouts
Complete 12 V systems for camper trailers and canopies: lighting, water pump, fridge, charging and switching.
Electric brake & breakaway systems
Proportional and inertia brake controllers installed and calibrated, breakaway batteries tested and replaced.
Trailer & Anderson plug wiring
7-pin flat and round, 12-pin flat, and Anderson charge circuits fused and sized for the run to the van.
Caravan & trailer camera systems
Reversing and side cameras that switch automatically when the van is coupled.
Interior & exterior lighting upgrades
LED conversions, awning lights, annexe lighting and switching that does not drain the house battery overnight.
12V touring system fault finding
Charging faults, phantom drains and "why won’t it charge while driving" traced from the tow vehicle to the van.
How the job runs
- 1
Inspect the whole circuit, van and tow vehicle
Most charging complaints are a tow vehicle problem, not a van problem. We test both ends before quoting.
- 2
Check it against the standard
Battery location, ventilation, fusing, cable protection and 12 V/240 V separation assessed against AS/NZS 3001.2.
- 3
Design the upgrade
Capacity, charge sources and inverter sizing matched to how you actually camp: powered sites, free camping or a mix.
- 4
Install and protect
Fuses close to the battery on the positive, cable protected against chafe and weather, solar fused at the panel.
- 5
Test under load and document
Charging verified from alternator, solar and 240 V, brake controller calibrated on the road, and a diagram left with the van.
Caravans, Campers & Trailers: common questions
Does swapping my caravan battery to lithium have to meet the new standard?
Yes. AS/NZS 3001.2:2022 applies to alterations made after 18 November 2023, and a battery replacement is an alteration. In practice that means the battery must be outside the habitable area or in a sealed, externally vented enclosure, correctly fused on the positive, with cells complying with AS IEC 62619.
Why does my caravan battery not charge while I am driving?
Nine times out of ten it is either voltage drop over the long cable run to the van, or a smart alternator in the tow vehicle that drops output too low to charge a battery through a plain relay. A DC-DC charger, fitted either in the tow vehicle or in the van, solves both.
Do I need a brake controller, and does it need calibrating?
In NSW, trailers over 2,000 kg GTM require electric brakes operable from the driver’s seat, which means a controller. Yes, it needs setting up. An uncalibrated proportional controller either locks the van’s wheels or lets the van push the tow vehicle, and both are dangerous on a descent like Macquarie Pass.
How often should the breakaway battery be replaced?
Test it before every trip and expect to replace a small sealed lead-acid breakaway battery every two to three years. It sits unused and self-discharges, and a breakaway system that cannot apply the brakes is the same as not having one.
Can you fit a 12-pin plug to my tow vehicle?
Yes, including the charge and brake circuits that a 7-pin flat cannot carry. We fuse the charge line separately and size it for the run, rather than running the van’s charging current through a pin never intended for it.
My van has a mix of old and new wiring. Where do you start?
With an inspection and a written report. You get a list of what is safe, what is non-compliant and what is simply worn out, priced separately, so you can stage the work rather than being handed a single large number.
Where we do this work
All work is carried out at the workshop, Albion Park Rail NSW 2527. Customers travel in from across the Illawarra and Shellharbour:
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Get this booked in
Ring the workshop or send the vehicle details and what it is doing. You will get a realistic time and an honest price before anything starts.